Throughout the centuries, the development of human life has been based upon nutrients and proteins that originate from natural resources. The proteins generated by the food humans consume include animal proteins and vegetable proteins.
Humanity has developed primarily on portions of continents and, secondarily, at the periphery of the oceans. The most widely exploited natural resources are those of the continents. This is a cause of imbalance of the food chain, which, as a result, currently poses great problems and nutritional deficiencies among different populations.
In a 2002 report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the insecurity of the food supply throughout the world, the FAO maintained, “progress in the reduction of hunger has virtually stopped.” The FAO advised that “unless this tendency is radically reversed, the world will be very far from reaching the goal of the World Food Summit of 1996 to reduce by half the number of people suffering from hunger by the year 2015.” In order to reach this goal, the reduction in the number of people suffering from hunger would have to number 24 million each year.
Deriving, from a variety of different sources, protein that may be transported to different people in need may solve many problems associated with lack of nutrition. Humans have benefited from proteins in a medical and nutritional form. Markets have been developed that has given rise to industrialization and commercialization in accordance with the identification of a greater protein potential in some species of fish. Unfortunately, industrialization and commercialization has resulted in the specific exploitation of classified groups of fish, which has placed the biologic balance in danger.
There is a large variety of marine animals, continental and oceanic, which have formed part of the food chain. From the nutritional point of view, fish are classified according to oil content and are divided into lean, semi-oily, and oily fish. For example, in white fish or lean fish, the oil content does not typically pass 2.5%. Hake, monkfish, sole, and dory are some examples of whitefish. The lowest index is found in codfish, with an oil content of about 0.25%. Semi-oily fish have a concentration of oils greater than 2.5% without passing 6%. Sea bream, mullet, gold bream, and bass are some examples of semi-oily fish. Oily fish may have a concentration of oil as high as 10%. Fish that have a high concentration of oils are known popularly as blue fish. Examples of oily fish include sardines, boguerón, mackerel, palometa, blue jack mackerel (chicarro), tuna, northern bonita, salmon, eel and swordfish. The oil of blue fish is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and is comprised, among other things, of Omega 3 fatty acids. The concentration of lipids also varies greatly from one species to another. For example, some species of fish live in deep zones and, as they do not migrate, they do not have a need to accumulate oils.
The recommended total consumption of protein (meat, fish, or other) is 15% of daily caloric intake, or 0.8 gram per kilo of weight. As in the case of meat, eggs, and milk, fish contribute protein containing all the essential amino acids. It is estimated that 35 grams of consumption a day of pure protein would satisfy an organism's aminoacids requirements like a full meal.
Protein found in fish contains all of the amino acids essential to humans, and for this reason, fish protein is of very high nutritional value. Fish is easily digested and is relatively low in calories. The lipids found in blue fish have been associated with a series of beneficial effects related to the prevention of myocardial heart attacks and arteriosclerosis.
Fish also contain large quantities of vitamins A and D, as well as vitamin E, which afford the protecting effect of an antioxidant. Generally speaking, fish are also a source of vitamins of the B group, specifically B12. Fish are very rich in sodium and potassium, and somewhat less in calcium.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a nutritional supplement to fight malnutrition that is high in protein and may be obtained from a wide variety of species of aquatic animals so that certain species of fish are not over-exploited.